WITH general interest rates coming down, when can you expect relief on your loans?
Variable-rate loans will drop on a schedule written into your lending agreement. Loans with fixed rates normally don't change, but might in some cases. Here's what to expect:
On credit cards: Nearly half of all cards currently carry variable rates, says Robert McKinley, president of CardWeb.com.They're often tied to the bank prime lending rate, which dropped again last week. The prime rate currently stands at 7.5 percent. Variable-rate cards are charging an average of 14.66 percent on unpaid balances, McKinley says.
The majority of banks adjust their card rates monthly, so many customers will already have seen a cut. The remaining banks generally adjust quarterly. This month, virtually all consumers with variable-rate cards should be on track to lower rates.
So-called "fixed-rate" cards are another story. "Fixed" may not mean what you think.
Take a recent offer from Fleet Bank for a card with a "revolutionary low, fixed rate" of just 7.99 percent. The mailing said this wasn't a mere "introductory rate" that would rise after a few months, but a real, fixed rate. A reader who signed up for the card found her "fixed" rate was about 2.5 percentage points higher six months later.
And, yes, that's legal. Fleet spokeswoman Deborah Pulver says it's "well recognized" that credit-card terms can be "modified," at the will of the bank.
You should probably expect any super-low "fixed" rate to be "modified" upward. The fine print in credit-card agreements gives the bank the right to change the rate at will, as long as you're notified at least 15 days in advance.
For top credit risks, fixed rates today range from around 9.9 percent to 12.99 percent. The average fixed rate: 16.04 percent. If interest rates keep on going down, some fixed-rate cards might be forced to cut rates to keep people from switching to something better. If your card issuer is offering lower rates to new customers, ask for that rate yourself.
On mortgages: Payments on a one-year adjustable-rate mortgage change on the loan's anniversary date. Your specific rate might be tied to Treasury rates or to the cost of funds at lending institutions. Mortgage rates have been declining since last summer. On average, new one-year adjustables are running at 6.32 percent, according to HSH Associates (for the latest, see www.hsh.com).
